Prospect Info: 2022-23 Ducks Prospects

[Hockey Duckie]

Because they don't understand that this team has loaded up on "skill" prospects lately and the org is lacking two way physical types. You need both to win in the NHL. I like Gaucher because he is what the Ducks are lacking. I think he has enough skill to not be a black hole offensively, and will develop into a guy who can play against big, physical first liners.

Jimmy Snuggerud scouting profile from THW: link. The profile is peppered with "two-way" and great shot. His build is 6'2 and 187 lbs. Gaucher is 6'3 and 207 lbs.

Jimmy is the equivalent of two-way with skill. Playing at the NCAA level will help him improve his body far more than playing at junior level.

I can understand passing on Kulich b/c Verbeek had a height preference in the draft, but Jimmy fit that height preference. Gaucher is a forward prospect that can be safely projected to go to the NHL as a bottom-6. PV didn't want to risk it on Snuggerud or Kulich. PV's next drafted forward was overager Ben King in the 4th round, another safe pick. The big swing came in the 5th round with Hvidston, a Sept baby. From recent reports, Hvidston plays against opposing team's top lines, can fight, is scoring at the same rate as Gaucher is scoring, and is 10 months younger than Gaucher.

Finding top-6 talent that pans out is more difficult than finding bottom-6 talent.

Once Rico retires, we're lacking top-6 scoring talent on the wings. Comtois is just a temporary bandage. LW Tracey and RW Perreault aren't looking the part right now. Anaheim is loaded up on bottom-6 forwards with C Lundy, C Groulx, and C Lopina. RW Colangelo is a big winger that is looking more like a bottom-6. Adding Gaucher to the mix is good, but dismissive that we're missing top-6 scoring talent on our wings.

If the Ducks land a top-4 pick, then the selection of Gaucher is moot and is part of a bigger picture. I like Gaucher, but don't sell this we need "two-way" idea when Snuggerud was drafted a pick later.

 

[Deuce22]

You can get players like that out of the 1st round and via free agency though... a lot easier than a point producing play driver. I think Gaucher will definitely be a NHL player, at this moment I'd predict he produces and plays similar to Comtois does this season, I think he will be a forechecking winger for one of our talented centers. You pray he maxes potential and becomes a Rucchin type but I doubt that. That being said, I prefer a higher upside player in the 1st round. First round picks are hard to get for a reason.

I would agree when picking higher in the first. Where Gaucher was drafted, I would prefer a guy with a better chance of actually being an NHLer, as opposed to throwing a dart at a skill guy like Lambert.

 

[bsu]

I would agree when picking higher in the first. Where Gaucher was drafted, I would prefer a guy with a better chance of actually being an NHLer, as opposed to throwing a dart at a skill guy like Lambert.

I'd prefer someone in between.

 

[tomd]

I would agree when picking higher in the first. Where Gaucher was drafted, I would prefer a guy with a better chance of actually being an NHLer, as opposed to throwing a dart at a skill guy like Lambert.

That's moving the goalposts a bit isn't it? No one is talking about Lambert right now. But there were at least two guys taken between Gaucher and Lambert that would have been better options for the Ducks. And a few guys taken after Lambert that would have been better options as well. I hope I'm wrong but I'll bet I'm not.

 

[Deuce22]

That's moving the goalposts a bit isn't it? No one is talking about Lambert right now. But there were at least two guys taken between Gaucher and Lambert that would have been better options for the Ducks. And a few guys taken after Lambert that would have been better options as well. I hope I'm wrong but I'll bet I'm not.

I used Lambert as an example, didn’t say he’s the guy Ducks should have drafted.

 

[bsu]

I used Lambert as an example, didn’t say he’s the guy Ducks should have drafted.

I get that but your example was literally probably the highest boom or bust potential out of the entire draft.

 

[Deuce22]

I get that but your example was literally probably the highest boom or bust potential out of the entire draft.

Yes, but there were some here that were disappointed that Ducks didn’t take him.

 

[Hockey Duckie]

I was bored and looked up Tracey's EP profile. His EP profile lists him at 6'1 and 185 lbs. That's new to me. He grew and inch and gained 8 lbs with this new bio. I have the 2022 rookie dev camp list and it has Tracey listed at 6'0 and 177 lbs. Then I decided to look at what the Athletic lists him at and it's 6'1 and 186 lbs. Did he really grow an inch or close enough to round up? weird about the growth, but kinda sad that he's only gained 8 pounds since he was drafted three years ago.

 

[Hockey Duckie]

More random bored stuff. I was looking at the physical 2021 Future's Watch magazine and here was their projected top-10 for the 2022 draft:

1. C Wright
2. C Lambert
3. C Savoie
4. RD Nemec
5. C Cooley
6. LW Slafkovsky
7. RD Luneau
8. RD Jiricek
9. LW McGroarty
10. C Jack D. Hughes

I totally missed that projection and how highly THW thought of Luneau's talent. That leg injury/surgery dropped him significantly a year later.

==========================
Here's their projected top-10 for the 2021 draft:

1. D Power
2. D Edvinsson
3. RW Guenther
4. C Eklund
5. C Beniers
6. D Clarke
7. C/W Kent Johnson
8. D Luke Hughes
9. C McTavish
10. C Lucius

 

[Anaheim4ever]

Yes, but there were some here that were disappointed that Ducks didn’t take him.

There were alot of people who wanted him with the late 1st and were disappointed. I was more disappointed they passed on Yurov.

 

[Arthuros]

There were alot of people who wanted him with the late 1st and were disappointed. I was more disappointed they passed on Yurov.

Eh, I kinda knew we weren't going to get Yurov.

Minty was a different case because he was in NA already. Yurov being in the K would definitely have been a cause for the Ducks to not draft him.

 

[tomd]

Eh, I kinda knew we weren't going to get Yurov.

Minty was a different case because he was in NA already. Yurov being in the K would definitely have been a cause for the Ducks to not draft him.

Going to be fun to see what the Ducks do if they are drafting 4th this year...

 

[forever1922]

I think when you talk about Verbeeks safe picks, I don't think that's what Verbeek was going for. I think it was more about size, strength and competitiveness over skill alone.

I also think that was the right call for this organisation given the mix of talent and size that Ducks have in their pool.

 

[Zegs2sendhelp]

Going to be fun to see what the Ducks do if they are drafting 4th this year...

I dont think PV has the same anti russian thing weve seen in the past.

Granted i wouldnt be shocked if they go with Benson/Smith over Michkov.

I think well see a dmen go top 10, and push up closer to 5 range.

 

[Arthuros]

I think when you talk about Verbeeks safe picks, I don't think that's what Verbeek was going for. I think it was more about size, strength and competitiveness over skill alone.

I also think that was the right call for this organisation given the mix of talent and size that Ducks have in their pool.

I think at 4, you take the chance on Michkov if he's available. If you pick higher, you do Carlsson or Fantilli.

 

[bsu]

If they don't take Michkov at #4.... we riot. If not him though I'd like Will Smith.

 

[Deuce22]

I wonder what the no Michkov people would say if Bedard was Russian.

 

[tomd]

I think when you talk about Verbeeks safe picks, I don't think that's what Verbeek was going for. I think it was more about size, strength and competitiveness over skill alone.

I also think that was the right call for this organisation given the mix of talent and size that Ducks have in their pool.

I get that grading prospects is subjective but I don't think there is a single prospect forward in the entire organization not already in the NHL (i.e. McTavish and Zegras) that has more than an average career in front of them.

I wonder what the no Michkov people would say if Bedard was Russian.

Michkov is a Russian Bedard but he's still Russian and under contract for three more years in the KHL after this year. It's the right pick talent-wise at #4 but whoever takes him will be sweating bullets until they can get him signed and over here sometime towards the end of the decade.

 

[goonsaredumb]

Michkov is a Russian Bedard but he's still Russian and under contract for three more years in the KHL after this year. It's the right pick talent-wise at #4 but whoever takes him will be sweating bullets until they can get him signed and over here sometime towards the end of the decade.

You'd make out like an absolute bandit though if you managed to sneak him out of the country like Malkin (unlikely but can you imagine)

 

[Arthuros]

I wonder what the no Michkov people would say if Bedard was Russian.

If Bedard didn't sign that KHL contract and there wasn't a war going on in Ukraine, I wouldn't really care all that much.

In the context of purely their nationality, I don't care where they're from. In the context of what's going on in the world right now, I think we risk him not coming over, and so I don't agree with picking Michkov at 2 or 3.

For all the times Malkin is brought up, Malkin actually wanted to come to North America and was willing to go through a lot to do it. All Michkov has said publicly is that he wants to stay in Russia until his contract is up, and that's a long ways off.

For me, the trade-off between Michkov being the clear best behind Bedard and him potentially not playing for the team at all is fair at #4.

 

[Hockey Duckie]

I wonder what the no Michkov people would say if Bedard was Russian.

I think there are a number of factors why Michov has lost a lot of ground with respect to "no Michkov" fans. The first is visibility. We absolutely have no visible intel on Michkov's play and that hurts. So you have to do a lot of digging to get info. Without that info, then it's out of sight, out of mind, which was similar to the "no McTavish" fans. The second is his injury to start the KHL season and lack of production with SKA. The third factor is the inability to break onto the SKA lineup, which probably was due to long injury recovery , but maybe SKA started noticing bad habits when Michkov was sent down to the VHL club (this is where I read reports that Michkov was showing bad habits and playing a perimeter game to make his stock drop).

The contract length was already known last year and the media was still touting both as generational types. Michkov earned that contract because he was a superstar at age 15 in the MHL. Yet, that contract does prevent any team from watching him develop under their own organization, which is a set back. Then again, if you're picking in the top-4, your team probably isn't ready to compete for two to three seasons.

I don't think the Russian invasion will prevent Michkov from coming over. Kaprizov made it back to the US.

Michkov did get a bump of good news when he was loaned to another KHL club, the worst KHL club. He started off hot with Sochi, but has become ice cold. Currently in 14 Sochi games, he's scored 4g + 2a and a -4 rating. I think teams have figured out Michkov to neutralize him.

The lack of visibility is probably the biggest deterrent of Michkov. We have to be reliant on reading reports on Michkov or grading like Central Scouting. Michkov dropped from 1 to 2, behind Carlsson. There's still a long ways to go before Central Scouting will issue it's final rankings. We'll see if Michkov hangs on or will he drop like Lambert did.

I still think he's part of the top-4 and then there's a gap in talent thereafter. And with SKA loaning Michkov to another KHL team, that demotion might make it easier to go to NA b/c now he isn't being treated like a superstar.

 

[GreatBear]

Despite the talent that he has, I would not pick Michkov in the number four position, or even in the top six if I were the Ducks. The Ducks need talent and a player who will become a top six forward from this draft, and I would not risk that draft pick on Michkov, who may never come over to the United States. The future is unknown with regards both to him and Russia's attitude towards it top young players leaving Russia to play in the United States,not to mention Michkov's own personal feelings as to whether he would rather play in Russia or the United States.

Other teams have other needs and may be willing to both wait and take the risk of his coming here, but I do not believe that risk is appropriate for the Ducks. Other people obviously feel differently from the four draft selection on, and I can respect that position. But it is not for me.

 

[Hockey Duckie]

For me, the trade-off between Michkov being the clear best behind Bedard and him potentially not playing for the team at all is fair at #4.

I don't think Michkov is the clear best behind Bedard. Central Scouting's midterm ranking doesn't believe so either as Michkov is ranked 2nd overall and behind Carlsson. The debate on who comes after Bedard is Fantilli and Carlsson.

 

[Arthuros]

I don't think Michkov is the clear best behind Bedard. Central Scouting's midterm ranking doesn't believe so either as Michkov is ranked 2nd overall and behind Carlsson. The debate on who comes after Bedard is Fantilli and Carlsson.

But is this purely based on Michkov as a hockey player and not accounting for his unique situation?

Most analyses I've read seem to indicate that talent-wise Michkov is the only one who can rival Bedard, but is ranked lower precisely because of the...murky situation going around him.

 

[tomd]

All these responses just reinforce the predicament of picking 4th...which, of course, is why the Ducks will be picking 4th.

There is a clear top 4 talent-wise so any team picking 4th has to weigh taking the Russian versus passing on him for a player who is less risky but also less talented.